There is no doubt that we live in a synthetic, chemical laden world & this is having an impact on our general health & menstrual cycles. Xenoestrogens are similar enough in structure to our natural oestrogen that they cause hormonal responses. The more you are exposed to them the greater the negative impact on your fertility & menstrual health. To minimise their impact try your best to limit your exposure to* . . . 

• Hormonal Contraceptives (HCs) - in her book The Fifth Vital Sign, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack describes HCs as the atomic bomb of xenoestrogens. She explains that HCs are like using a jackhammer to scratch an itch as they completely shut down your reproductive function by suppressing ovulation. 

• Non organic meat, dairy, veg & fruit - grains fed to meat & dairy producing animals can be high in pesticide residue, a small amount of this will be present in the meat & dairy from these animals & can cause inflammation & hormone disruption. Organic meat & dairy however does not, so opting for organic where possible & affordable is great. With fruit & veg buy organic where possible but focus on avoiding the dirty dozen if this isn't affordable/practical for you. You can find out more info on the dirty dozen HERE. If you're a perfectionist like me then it is easy to get your knickers in a twist over this, just aim to buy the best quality meat & veg that is available & affordable for you. Most beef in the uk is grass fed & high welfare, as a broad rule the smaller the animal the more important it is to opt for organic & high welfare. So if you're buying beef, everything in the supermarket in the UK is likely to be good quality but with chicken it's buy the highest welfare you can afford.

• Scented beauty & period products - A large amount of beauty products (shampoo, conditioner, nail varnish, perfume, body lotion, deodorant) contain chemicals called phalates, which stop hormones functioning normally can have similar effects to oestrogen in the body, which can contribute to oestrogen dominance which causes things like painful, heavy periods & PMS amongst many other things. You can check how toxic your beauty products are by searching on the EWG database by ingredient, brand or product & rates products on a scale of 1 = best -& 10 = worst. Opt for simple skincare options made from natural ingredients. Sadly period products don't come out much better & are exposed to a wide variety of toxic chemicals (even bleach) during manufacturing. I don't know about you but I wouldn't put bleach up my fanny voluntarily... Fortunately there are lots of options now for non toxic products with menstrual cups & brands like natracare widely available.  

• Scented cleaning & air fresheners - hand soap, washing liquids, dishwasher tablets, antibacterial sprays all contain xenoestrogens. Over time switch to natural alternatives, companies like SMOL offer a bundle of natural products that are better for you & the environment to get you started. (Oh also - clean with the windows open!)

• Canned food - BPA is a potent xenoestrogen that is known to disrupt normal endorine (hormone) function & impair fertility* BPA is present in high quantities in canned foods & plastic food & drink containers. Buy fresh, dried or frozen fruit & veg instea of canned where possible.

• Plastic food & drinks containers - use glass containers instead of plastic or stainless steel for water & hot drinks. Top tip - remove the plastic lid from takeaway coffee cups as the heat from the coffee disrupts the plastic & allows it to transfer into the liquid you are consuming, so ditch the lid!

• Non-stick cookware & textiles treated as water or stain resistant - perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are potent xenoestrogens which disrupt normal hormone function & are present in high amount in non stick cookware & textiles treated as stain or water resistent. Therefore consider which fabrics you are wearing close to your skin & replace non-stick cookware with glass, ceramic, cast iron or stainless steel*

• Environmental toxins (Fumes, pesticides, flame retardants etc) - this one is obvious but limiting exposure to these will help, if in doubt wear a mask!

• Processed soy products - soy products contain natural xenoestrogens & have a strong oestrogen effect on the body. Modern processed soy production methods lead to much higher levels of xenoestrogens that traditional methods, so products like soy milk, tempeh, tofu & soy based baby formula should be limited.* 

• Unfiltered drinking water - tap water has been found to contain natural & synthetic oestrogens, pesticide & herbicide residue, pharmaceutical drugs & other chemical compounds. A Berkey water filter is capable of filtering out these.*

Don't get too obsessive with these as it's impossible to limit your exposure completely & getting stressed about it could be more detrimental to your health than their impact! Make a commitment to replacing chemical laden products with more natural ones as you run out over time, you can't do it all at once, most people take between 3 months to a year to make these changes.

If you need any help with this please reach out & let me know.